Nutrients that we require every day to remain healthy and active are provided by our diet. This is because, although the body can manufacture most of the molecules it needs, some essential molecules cannot be made in the body. These molecules are called essential nutrients, and must be provided by our diet.
The levels of essential nutrients that are required to maintain good health vary considerably depending on factors such as age and gender. Other relevant factors are size and metabolic rate. The control of adequate nutrient levels is further complicated by interactions between components of the diet that may alter the efficiency of absorption or utilisation of a particular nutrient. The body also has stores of certain nutrients so that some variation in the daily intake of such nutrients can be accommodated.
Although whole food sources are the best sources of nutrients, they are not typically eaten in sufficient amounts to provide sufficient amounts of nutrients. In addition, changes in eating patterns have created nutrient deficiencies and/or excesses which make it difficult to ensure all required nutrients are obtained. Consequently, it can be difficult to maintain a well balanced diet.
In addition to humans, various animal species including domestic pets, livestock and other farmed animals may suffer from nutrient deficiencies in their diets.
Deficiencies in essential nutrients can lead to poor health and even disease. For example, anaemia can be caused by a deficiency of iron or by a deficiency in vitamin B12 and folic acid. An iron deficiency can cause defective proliferation and maturation of red cells, while deficiencies in vitamin B12 and folic acid may result in a failure of red blood cells to mature, resulting in anaemia. Another example is scurvy, which is caused by a deficiency of vitamin C. Scurvy can cause tiredness, muscle weakness, joint and muscle aches, a rash on the legs and bleeding gums
Supplementing a diet with particular vitamins and nutrients could prevent some conditions from developing or may provide significant health benefits. For example, calcium supplements may prevent osteoporosis, while folate may be taken by women before and during pregnancy to minimise the risk of neural tube disorders in infants. As another example, omega-3 fatty acid supplements can lower levels of heart disease and stroke as well as having anti inflammatory and brain/memory function benefits, while lycopene supplements may be able to reduce the risk of prostate cancer in Caucasian males. Increasing attention is being focussed on Vitamin D deficiency in humans, and correlations have been drawn between this deficiency and poor bone health (among others).
Selenium is an essential element for humans and animals. In the body selenium helps prevent damage by free radicals (i.e. acts as an antioxidant). It also has varied applications and uses in animal feed. For example, selenium may be utilised in specialised feeds for horses to aid in muscle problems (tying up) that may be due to a wide range of causes, which include exercise in excess of training level, respiratory infections, lack of dietary selenium/vitamin E, electrolytes & minerals.
Carotenoids such as lutein and zeaxanthin have antioxidant functions in maintaining eye health. In particular, carotenoids have been found to improve and protect the macular region by increasing the density of macular pigment, which absorbs harmful blue light and reduces oxidative damage. High dietary intake of carotenoids such as lutein and zeaxanthin may also protect against macular degeneration.
Beta-Carotene is a carotenoid which, in addition to the eye health properties indicated above, is also an antioxidant and boosts the immune system in humans and animals. It has been found that supplementing cattle with antioxidants such as beta-carotene, vitamin E, selenium may reduce somatic cell counts and improve the health of cattle with mastitis infections. It has also been found that when beta-carotene supplements are used, vitamin E supplements are also necessary, as the beta-carotene appears to reduce the level of vitamin E in the blood (body).
In addition supplementation is increasingly being addressed by the fortification of foods with vitamins and nutrients (such as in functional foods). As one example, direct supplementation of vitamins and nutrients to animals has been reported to increase nutritional concentrations in the foods produced from those animals, including meat, milk and eggs.
Many supplements containing nutraceutical actives providing vitamins, minerals and nutrients are currently available. However, there are problems associated with the bioavailability of some nutraceutical actives. As one example, nutraceutical actives may be poorly bioavailable due to their hydrophobicity (i.e. poorly water solubility). Nutraceutical actives that are not readily bioavailable need to be administered in large amounts in order to ensure that a sufficient amount of the vitamin and/or nutrient is absorbed. This can increase the cost of the dose of a nutraceutical active quite dramatically, particularly if the nutraceutical active is difficult to isolate or expensive to purchase. It may also mean that multiple and/or large capsules need to be administered. Accordingly, there is a need for improved or alternative active compositions having improved bioavailability.
In this specification where a document, act or item of knowledge is referred to or discussed, this reference or discussion is not an admission that the document, act or item of knowledge or any combination thereof was at the priority date, publicly available, known to the public, part of common general knowledge; or known to be relevant to an attempt to solve any problem with which this specification is concerned.